BOSTON, MA - APRIL 15: Former Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz greets Boston Marathon personnel during a finish line dedication ceremony in recognition of the ten-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings and One Boston Day on April 15, 2023 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello and happy Monday, folks.
Happy Marathon Monday, to be specific.
A huge shoutout to all of those who will be running in the marathon today, and another huge shoutout taking the time to go out and cheer everybody on. Patriots Day is a special day here in the Bay State—go on and have a good time with it.
The Sox play today as well; I have no clue whether this post is gonna be posted before the first pitch at 11:10 a.m.
Drop your favorite Marathon Monday memories in the chat below.
The Anaheim Ducks are about to embark on a journey into waters uncharted for the better part of a decade for their franchise: the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For their first series in eight years, they didn’t do themselves any favors, backing into third place in the Pacific Division, after holding a five-point lead with ten games to go.
They will now be in the crosshairs of a juggernaut club with Stanley Cup aspirations that represented the Western Conference in each of the last two Stanley Cup Finals. They’ll have to defeat Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers four times in the next seven games if they’re to continue playing hockey this spring.
For the Ducks to escape this series with four wins, head coach Joel Quenneville will have to be on the winning side of (at least) three specific matchups:
Jackson LaCombe and Jacob Trouba vs Connor McDavid
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Quenneville typically doesn’t elect to hard-match a forward line against an opposing top line. When called for, he has instead deployed his top pair (LaCombe-Trouba) against an opposing top line or player.
Shutting down Connor McDavid is a fool’s errand, as one can only hope to contain the greatest offensive player to ever lace up a pair of skates. It will be a five-man effort, over the entire 200-foot sheet, to deny him pucks as much as possible and minimize his ability to gain speed.
By the time McDavid has the puck in LaCombe and/or Trouba’s vicinity, it would benefit their focus to be on, to the best of their abilities, keeping him away from the middle of the ice with clever angles and maintaining steady gaps, not committing too much or allowing too much ice between.
Smart and quick sticks to influence, take lanes away, and disrupt shot or pass attempts will be key when LaCombe or Trouba is engaged with McDavid. In plain terms, they have to be perfect.
“You don’t want to play run-and-gun hockey with this team,” Trouba said. “They got a lot of high talented offensive players. Defending is going to be a key part for us in the series.”
Against the San Jose Sharks on home ice, Quenneville deployed center Ryan Poehling against Macklin Celebrini, notching a rare pointless night for the phenomenal Sharks sophomore. That’s a card Quenneville can play should he see fit, when the series returns to Honda Center for game three.
Then, of course, even if the Ducks successfully contain McDavid, Leon Draisaitl will be waiting in the wings to pick up any slack left behind by #97. One shudders to speculate on what McDavid can accomplish given how motivated and determined he will be heading into these playoffs, following back-to-back Stanley Cup finals losses and losing in the 2026 Olympic gold medal game.
“The regular season has become a little bit monotonous for this group,” McDavid said. “I think you see that through the day-to-day. But this is what we get excited for.”
Lukas Dostal vs An Offensive Onslaught
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
If there’s an “x-factor” in this series for the Ducks, it will be goaltender Lukas Dostal. Though numbers would suggest his season was unspectacular and his play faltered toward the end of the regular season, the Ducks simply would not be where they are, in the playoffs for the first time since 2018, had it not been for Dostal’s heroics earlier in the season.
With a new coach, a new defensive system was implemented. That new system, compounded with a lack of overall defensive talent and habits on the Ducks’ roster, gave way to one of the worst environments in the NHL for a goaltender.
On a nightly basis, the Ducks were allowing a variety of high-danger chances to their opponents, whether those chances were born from poor pinches in the offensive zone, poor backchecking effort, poor backchecking technique, d-zone coverage lapses, lost net-front battles, etc.
Dostal made more saves and more difficult saves than should have been required, kept the Ducks in more games than they deserved, allowing them to “outscore their problems,” and get needed wins to achieve their goal of making the playoffs.
“It’s a different experience,” Dostal said. “I’ve had a chance to play in big games before, but this is a little different because you get to play the same team on multiple occasions. You’re going to try to expose them. They’re going to try to expose you. It’s going to be a fun experience.”
He’s traditionally performed his best when the lights are brightest, whether that be the Olympics, World Championships, or World Juniors. This will be a completely different challenge for Dostal, playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs against two of the most potent offensive centers in this generation (McDavid and Draisaitl), a Norris-caliber offensive defenseman (Evan Bouchard), and one of the deepest teams the Oilers’ front office has surrounded them with in their cup-contending era.
Ducks Power Play vs Oilers Penalty Kill
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The instinct would be to fixate on the Oilers’ power play and how to contain, neutralize, or limit it. However, Edmonton’s power play is such a well-oiled (pun intended) machine that seems to be firing on all cylinders every spring. In their last three playoff runs, the Oilers have converted on 31.6% of the power play opportunities, and in the 2025-26 regular season, they were the NHL’s best, converting at 30.6%.
Edmonton’s power play is going to score, and probably score a lot. Their penalty kill, however, is an area the Ducks will need to exploit in order to put goals back on the board. In the 2025-26 regular season, Edmonton’s penalty kill was successful 77.8% of the time, good enough for 20th in the NHL. Their underlying numbers reflect similarly, as their 9.57 expected goals allowed per 60 minutes ranked 24th in the NHL.
Over their last three postseason appearances, the Oilers PK has killed 79.5% of penalties taken. That number is roughly league-average annually. However, how they got to that total could give pause, as in the 2022-23 playoffs, they killed 34 of 45 (75.5%), in the 2024-25 playoffs, they killed 66 of 70 (94.3%), and last year, they killed just 47 of 70 (67.1%). To call their PK “inconsistent” would be an understatement.
Despite having plentiful talent and a potent 5v5 offense, Anaheim’s power play didn’t convert at an encouraging rate this season, despite a quality process at times and generating roughly league-average underlying numbers.
The Ducks 18.6% conversion rate on the power play was good enough to rank 23rd in the NHL and was their best since the 2021-22 season (21.9%). They generated 8.68 expected goals per 60, ranking 18th of the 32 teams in the NHL.
Anaheim has the talent and has shown flashes of deploying a lethal power play, but have inexplicably been unable to put the pieces together. They’ll have to figure it out quickly, as a few extra power play goals could be the difference in a playoff series like this one.
This series will be the last to begin and will see the first puck drop at 7 PM PST in Edmonton, Alberta.
Former captain struck second hiscentury of season to light flames in West Country hearts while Warwickshire beat Essex
Three in the over for Barker! Charlie Allison, bowled by one that may have kept a bit low. Essex 16 for three...
Early wickets in sunny Brumbados, Keith Barker striking first ball from the Pavilion End as Dean Elgar is trapped lbw offering no shot. In comes Tall Paul to join Sam Cook, who spared him the hassle last night but has since squirted Barker’s third ball of the day to cover. That’s Barker’s 700th career wicket across formats. Essex 16 for two (need another 190) and an inauspicious start.
Kyle Dubas' number-one trade he regrets was while he was general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The current Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and GM joined Spittin' Chiclets last week to chat about the Penguins as they get ready for their playoff run, as well as some interesting tidbits about his time in Toronto.
He also divulged what trade he regrets most in his career as an NHL GM, and it's the move which sent Mason Marchment to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Denis Malgin on Feb. 19, 2020.
"To me, the one that I regret most is — I've said this before openly — Mason Marchment," Dubas told Spittin' Chiclets.
"We traded Mason to Florida. He had come up with us the whole way. We signed him to minor-league deal after his overage season in major junior. He was in Orlando in the ECHL for most of the first year. He didn't play for three months, like, just working with the development team, and that was my responsibility then.
"It was 2016-17 with the Leafs, working for Lou (Lamiorello), and he came so far, helped us win a Calder Cup in 2018, was a huge part of that," Dubas continued. "Made his NHL debut the next year, which was awesome. And then he was 25, I think at the time, or 24, and we moved him to Florida. We needed the skill at that point. We had some guys out of the lineup, and it was a younger, skill guy that came in (Malgin).
"Every time I see Mason play, like no matter where he is, I just kick myself because we really needed that style of player throughout. Just the competitiveness, the ability to score, the ability to get under people's skin, the physicality, the ability to get to the net. I always kick myself about that one."
Marchment truly established his NHL career after being traded away from the Maple Leafs.
After his first season in Florida (where he scored 10 points in 33 games), Marchment began to find his game at the NHL level, finishing the 2021-22 season with 18 goals and 47 points in 54 games.
Following two years with the Panthers, Marchment became an unrestricted free agent and signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Dallas Stars in July 2022. He played three seasons with the Stars and then was traded to the Seattle Kraken last summer.
Marchment struggled to find his game with Seattle and was eventually moved to the Columbus Blue Jackets in mid-December. After being moved, the 30-year-old found his game again, scoring 15 goals and 32 points in 39 games.
Meanwhile, we all know what occurred once the Maple Leafs acquired Malgin.
He played only eight games with Toronto during the 2019-20 season. Once the year concluded, Malgin returned to his home country of Switzerland and played two seasons in the Swiss League, tallying over a point per game in 93 matches.
In 2022-23, Malgin returned to the Maple Leafs to try and give the NHL another go. He scored two goals and two assists in 23 games with Toronto before the club traded him to the Colorado Avalanche for Dryden Hunt in mid-December 2022.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 19: Tim Duncan and David Robinson attend a game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If you attend games regularly, you know that David Robinson has a pair of second row seats and on any given night the camera finds him smiling for the fans.
Last night, Robinson was seated in the box occupied by Spurs GM Brian Wright and guests of the Spurs Organization. The Admiral was in relative incognito as he donned a baseball cap and a Spurs shirt, one of the 18,000+ plus fiesta-colored shirts worn by nearly every attendee in the Frost Bank Center.
Robinson, the Spurs first ever #1 draft pick was seated next to the Silver & Black’s second #1 draft pick, his twin tower teammate Tim Duncan.
The two received a rousing applause during a time out.
After the game, Victor Wembanyama said the applause for Duncan and Robinson was the loudest he heard the arena outside of the regular play.
There were multiple reminders for fans to put on their shirts. The entire arena decorated with fans in large swaths of fiesta flare. The duo who were integral to the Spurs first title complied, setting the example for all to see.
Wemby also stated that having them in his corner was uplifting and supportive. Here he responds to Ramona Shelburne’s during the postgame presser:
Victor Wembanyama was asked by @ramonashelburne whether he feels the weight of following in the footsteps of Sours legends like Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
“I wouldn’t say weight. I would say it feels safe. It feels like if you trip, there’s a lot of hands that’s ready to… pic.twitter.com/lWT4VsR4AX
In addition to the Spurs big men, George Gervin was honored at halftime in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the George Gervin Academy schools that support education throughout San Antonio.
Manu Ginobili was in attendance with his family, as he is often seen in the crowd.
And Pop, who was seen on social media interacting at the Spurs practice facility earlier this week, was watching from a suite as well.
Spurs Family is just that, family. After the game, Devin reiterated just how deep the roots are with the Spurs.
“It’s a big family thing here. I feel that’s the biggest thing, it’s all about family. They are here all the time put in their support. It’s just huge for us.”
The young Spurs, many of whom played their first playoff game, were definitely not alone. And the institutional knowledge in the arena was with them on multiple levels.
Game 2 of the series takes place at the Frost Bank Center Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. CST.
Go Spurs Go!
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Apr 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm (28) reacts against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
I’m usually the one around here that looks for the optimistic point of view with the Phillies. They’re still a talented team that will likely make the playoffs this year, even if right now it’s bleak. The baseball gods have frowned on them in a rather substantial way (or is it the ghost of Harry Kalas?)
I’m also not blind: this team stinks something terrible right now.
There is still plenty of season left and plenty of time to right the ship. They’ll get on track soon enough…
The Colorado Avalanche picked up a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the first round. A former Montreal Canadiens forward played a role in the Avalanche's victory, as Artturi Lehkonen put together a strong performance.
At the 15:29 mark of the second period, Lehkonen scored the game-opening goal to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead. It was a nice goal from the former Canadiens forward, too, as he picked up Nathan MacKinnon's rebound in front before beating Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg with a wrist shot in front of the net.
With this game being a low-scoring one, there is no question that Lehkonen's goal ended up being an incredibly important one. It was just the latest strong game from the former Canadiens forward this year, as he had another good season for the Avalanche in 2025-26. In 70 games this season with the Central Division club, he had 21 goals, 287 assists, 48 points, and a plus-32 rating.
Lehkonen was selected by the Canadiens with the 55th overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. In 396 games over six seasons with the Habs from 2016-17 to 2021-22, he had 74 goals, 75 assists, and 149 points.
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - FEBRUARY 7: Former team members from the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats team Cameron Mills and Derek Anderson celebrate with head coach Mark Pope of the Kentucky Wildcats after the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena on February 7, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mark Pope has openly joked about the group chat he shares with his 1996 national championship teammates, claiming they keep him grounded. But according to former Kentucky star Derek Anderson, that chat is a lot more intense than Pope has let on.
During a recent appearance on KSR, Anderson pulled back the curtain on the ongoing conversations between the guys who helped Kentucky cut down the nets. He revealed that the chat is still going strong, but teammates frequently type out messages only to delete them because the critiques of Pope’s coaching job may be too “brutal.”
As someone who works closely with NBA players and top-100 high school recruits, Anderson didn’t hold back his thoughts on why Pope’s third year at Kentucky is facing so many structural hurdles that have resulted in too many big losses.
Mark Pope has a “rah-rah” problem
Anderson’s primary concern isn’t Pope’s character; he knows he is an awesome guy. It is not the message he is sending to recruits on visits; he believes he can connect with anyone. For Anderson, the key to fixing Mark Pope’s issues in Lexington resides in Pope’s temperament.
“He can relate to the guys because he’s a great guy,” Anderson explained. “When you’re at BYU, you get to kind of run and play, and it’s a different style when you’re in the SEC and Kentucky thing. We were coming for your throat, and that’s a different mentality. Is he teaching that mentality? Because he’s never been that rah-rah guy anyway.”
Anderson pointed out the stark contrast in how he and Pope differed when they were on the court together. “You saw when we played, I’m dancing when I dunk on you. He’s just like this, ‘Good play, DA. Go sit down.’ Like, that’s a great guy, but that’s not Kentucky. Like, I was taught to dominate players whenever I played, and that was a mentality.”
There has been a little bit of that killer instinct missing at times under Pope. And it could be that he values emotional balance so much that his guys never feel free to really go after it. That mentality all starts on the practice court for Anderson.
Flawed practice habits
That lack of edge apparently bleeds into how Pope constructs his practices and pregame speeches/routines. Anderson shared a specific anecdote about Pope’s free-throw drills that contrasts with where the two men stand.
Pope demands absolute silence in the gym when players are shooting free throws. Anderson strongly disagrees with the method.
“We wanted everybody loud,” Anderson said. “If I’m at the free throw line, I need to hear noise so I know it at the end of the game, when there’s crazy going on, I gotta concentrate… If you don’t teach that, and when it happens in a game, how am I prepared? I’m not.”
DA is totally right here. I love the Mark Pope moment of silence thing. I understand visualization is key. But I also believe you play the way you practice. And we need to see some more fire from these guys on gameday.
I really believe that is a huge part of why we see so many slow starts.
Anderson also sees a teaching issue.
A complete lack of basketball IQ
The most interesting critique from Anderson centered on the lack of teaching the basic fundamentals. He expressed shock at last year’s team’s inability to execute even the most basic basketball concepts. He believes that falls directly on Pope and the assistants, who have now mostly been replaced (Cody Fueger, Mark Fox, and Mikhail McLean are the holdovers, for now).
“We didn’t know how to play basketball. It was literally, we couldn’t throw a bounce pass,” Anderson said, referencing the recent struggles. He noted that players fail to use basic pump fakes against 2-3 zones, and criticized the assistant coaches for doing “nothing” and walking away while players shoot free throws instead of forcing them to hold their follow-throughs.
“It was not teaching,” Anderson stated firmly. “And I was always telling him, you’ve got to teach the IQ part and understanding of the game if you want players to be better. You can’t just let them go and say, well, they’ll figure it out.”
Again, DA is right on the money. I know Mark doesn’t want to spend a lot of practice time on teaching things guys should have learned in junior high, but the reality is the game has changed. Most of these kids play on AAU traveling teams that only care about 2 things: winning and money. No longer do they teach them drop steps; it is now the Euro step. No longer is it bounce pass drills; it’s all Steph Curry two-hand-two-ball drills.
You have to sometimes take a step back in order to take a step forward.
Can a coaching staff shakeup fix this?
Anderson’s comments shine a glaring spotlight on the current state of Kentucky’s bench. It is abundantly clear that Pope has significant work to do in terms of teaching the game, but he cannot do it alone.
So far this offseason, Kentucky has only hired Mo Williams to the staff. With Mark Fox operating on an expiring contract and an open coaching vacancy still waiting to be filled, Pope has a crucial opportunity to change the dynamic. If he is going to be the “nice guy” head coach, he desperately needs to hire assistants who are willing to teach the fundamentals, enforce the “throat-stepping” mentality, and demand accountability in practice.
I know he loves this place, and I think everyone wants him to succeed here, but if he fails to address what DA has brought up, I don’t see him staying past year 3.
Do you agree or disagree with Anderson’s take on Pope?
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 19: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics goes in for a dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on April 19, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
1. Playoff Jayson Tatum Is Back
The last time Jayson Tatum played in the playoffs was May 12th 2025. He dropped 42 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists before he suffered what is known as one of the worst injuries a basketball player could sustain in a Torn Achilles. It was only 342 days later where Tatum was back playing in a playoff game and it looks like he hasn’t skipped a beat, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals on 9-17 shooting.
Jayson Tatum is now 5th in Eastern Conference history in 25-point playoff games with only LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Dwayne Wade having more. Tatum joined Jimmy Butler in 2022 and Russell Westbrook in 2017 as the third player in NBA Playoff History with 21+ Points, 8+ Rebounds, 4+ Assists, and 2+ Steals in the first half of a playoff game in the last 30 years.
21+ PTS, 8+ REB, 4+ AST, 2+ STL in 1st Half of Playoff Game, last 30 years
Tatum today Jimmy Butler vs. Celtics, 5/27/22 Westbrook vs. Houston, 4/19/17
Tatum played most of his best basketball in the first half of this game, finishing with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists on 7-11 shooting. Tatum had 10 of those points in the first quarter, where he exploited the fact the 76ers didn’t have a wing defender that could guard him. He was able to slice through Philly’s defense like a cheese steak to get to easy buckets in the midrange and some aggressive finishes at the basket.
Tatum did a great job of getting to the line in the second quarter, finishing 6-6 at the charity stripe. Philadelphia did not have any answers for him and you can tell they were frustrated. He was 1-7 from three in this game but that one he hit made him pass Kobe Bryant for 11th place on the all-time playoff three-pointers made list. Tatum put an exclamation point on his incredible first half performance with an emphatic slam off a Sam Hauser steal.
Tatum only played in 12 minutes the rest of the game but his first half performance stamped his impact on this win. He was serenaded with a standing ovation from the TD Garden crowd in the fourth quarter, being shown the respect he deserved for his great game.
Jayson Tatum gets a standing ovation as he leaves the game in the fourth quarter pic.twitter.com/qgZRI9tBWC
Jaylen Brown started game this game a little slow with only 10 points on 4-12 shooting in the first half but really stepped up his game in the third quarter. Brown played the entire third quarter and finished with 16 points on 7-9 shooting from the field and 2-2 from three. The play that really ignited his fire in the quarter came at the 6:24 mark where he deflected an errant pass by Andre Drummond and turned it into a wide open three pointer.
This three sparked a 10-0 run by the Celtics that took any possible chance the 76ers had of coming back in this game. Brown shot 5-6 after his steal, twisting the knife even deeper into Philadelphia’s defense. No matter who Philly threw out there to defend him, Brown was able break them down and finish in his spots.
This game was the 50th time that both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum scored 20+ points in the same playoff game, the second most in Celtics history only behind Larry Bird and Kevin McHale who did it 58 times. It is the 19th time that Brown and Tatum have both scored 25+ in the same playoff game. If Game 1 was any indication of how these playoffs are going to go, we could see the Jays breaking that record this season.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 20+ points in the same playoff game for the 50th time, the second most in Celtics history behind Larry Bird and Kevin McHale (58) ☘️ pic.twitter.com/7ATI79CtuU
For the first time in his NBA Career, Sam Hauser shot under 40% from three in a season, finishing at 39.3% with the Celtics this season. He seemed to take that personally going into Game 1 where finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds on 4-6 shooting from behind the arc. He started the game off hot, hitting back-to-back threes in the first quarter and set the tone for the Celtics offense.
He hit two more threes in the fourth quarter but what really impressive from Hauser was his defensive effort in this game. Via Taylor Snow on X, Sam Hauser played 1,934 minutes in the regular season and drew 0 charges but 2 minutes into the playoffs he drew a charge on Adem Bona who barreled right through him. When asked about taking the charge, Hauser laughed and said, “I was scared” but he was just trying to make a play.
Hauser made another great defensive play in the second quarter, picking off an inbounds pass and finding Jayson Tatum the other way for a wide open dunk. After struggling for most of the season, this was a great start what hopefully is a big playoff run for Hauser this season.
4. Jordan Walsh Energy Minutes
Jordan Walsh played some big minutes for the Celtics down the stretch of the regular season and got his first chance to show out in the playoffs, finishing with 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists on 2-5 shooting. He was thrown in at the 3:49 mark of the third quarter and was immediately tasked to stop Tyrese Maxey. Walsh stepped up by playing some great defense that resulted in him getting a fast-break layup off a nice pass from Jayson Tatum at the end of the first quarter.
JAYSON TATUM TO JORDAN WALSH FOR THE BASKET TO END END THE 1ST QUARTER!
Walsh checked back in at the 3:36 mark of the third quarter, where he once again brought the energy on the defensive end that the Celtics were looking for. After Brown missed a midrange jumper, Walsh grabbed a big offensive rebound in traffic, drawing a foul and hyping up the crowd. This is a great example of why Walsh is so important to the Celtics with the instant energy he provides on the defensive side of the ball.
5. Neemias Queta X-Factor
Neemias Queta had an up-and-down game against the 76ers in his first career playoff start. The good was that he finished with 13 points and 1 block on 5-5 shooting but the bad was that he committed 5 fouls in only 15 minutes of play. Some of the fouls were bad but when he was out there, Queta dominated the 76ers inside, just like he did on March 1st when he dropped a career 27 points with 17 rebounds.
Much like most of the games at the end of the regular season when Queta went off, he was a monster in the pick-and-roll against Philadelphia. If he wasn’t in foul trouble I believe the Celtics would have spammed the same play over and over again until the 76ers could stop him. The 76ers looked like they wanted no business in guarding him and if that is the case, Queta will be a big X-factor for the Celtics in this series if he can stay out of foul trouble.
6. Nikola Vucevic Adventure
With Queta in foul trouble, Nikola Vucevic got a lot more minutes off the bench, finishing with 18 in total. If I had to describe his performance it would be: an adventure. Much like Queta, Vucevic also was in foul trouble, finishing with 4 fouls. On the positive side he finished with 3 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and a +13. We saw Vucevic have a rough game early on, getting dunked on by Kelly Oubre Jr and air-balling a wide open shot at the basket.
However he was also able to be a real positive for Boston on the glass, doing a great job of sealing off Bona and Drummond to secure defensive rebounds to start the Celtics offense. He was even able to turn one of these rebounds into a transition three. It was cool to see TD Garden yell “VOOCH” as the shot went up and the subsequent cheers after it went in. Joe Mazzulla praised his ability to keep the 76ers big men off the glass in his post game press conference, so although it might not look the prettiest, Vucevic is an important part of this rotation.
7. Garza/Scheierman Step Up In Spot Minutes
With both Queta and Vucevic in foul trouble at points in this game, Luka Garza got a chance to play 14 minutes off the bench and finished with 7 points and 2 rebounds. Garza started the second quarter for the Celtics and immediately grabbed a big offensive rebound to get free throws. He followed that up with a three pointer and even though he only played 5:27, in the second quarter, the Celtics were able to open up their lead to 15 points. Garza played a little bit of spot minutes in the second half as well and although he didn’t put up a ton of numbers on the stat sheet, he was able to keep Philadelphia’s big men under wraps.
Baylor Scheierman also started the second quarter alongside Garza, and had one sequence where he made an impact. He finished a nice floater late in the shot clock on offense and then blocked Paul George on defense the next possession. Seeing Garza and Scheierman excel in spot minutes is huge for the Celtics and is a testament to everyone being ready for when their number is called.
8. Three-point Disparity
When asked about limiting the Celtics three-point shooting pregame, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said that he wanted his team to cut the number of three point attempts down in this series by “4-5.” Safe to say, that game plan did not work out well. Boston was 16-44 (36%) from three which isn’t great but was substantially better than Philadelphia who finished 4-23 (17%).
The three-pointer is the great equalizer when it comes to the NBA. It can both win you and lose you games based on how good the team shooting is. Safe to say the 76ers might want to try a little harder to force the Celtics off the three-point line a little more, given they lost by 32 points and Boston didn’t even it shoot it well. I wonder what the score would look like if the Celtics made even 40% of their threes.
Celtics Shooting Zone Chart (Via NBA.com)
9. Maxey Non-Factor
Tyrese Maxey is the engine that makes the Philadelphia 76ers offense go but he is also playing through a right finger tendon injury that he suffered on his pinky. When he isn’t able to have a big game, the 76ers have a hard time generating offense and we saw it in this game where Maxey finished with only 21 points on 8-20 shooting. The primary defenders on Maxey in this game were Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Jordan Walsh and all of them did a great job of forcing him into tough shots. Maxey is still going to get his and might have a big game in this series at some point, but I liked what I saw out of the Celtics defense.
10. TD Garden Crowd
The best part about the Celtics being back in the Playoffs is that we get to hear the roar of the TD Garden crowd. I was there covering the game for CelticsBlog as a media member for the first time in a playoff game and sitting in the press box it was amazing to hear how loud the crowd got in big moments. The crowd was engaged from the jump ball and I thought even sounded loud on TV.
The highlight of the night was during the fourth quarter when in garbage time, the TD Garden broke out in a “We Want Boston” chant. This was a response to the Philadelphia 76ers crowd chanting it at the end of their Play-In Tournament victory against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday April 15th. We saw Gino Time, the wave, and a Celtics victory, it doesn’t get much better than that.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 18: Nick Seeler #24 of the Philadelphia Flyers exchanges punches with Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period of Game One of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
Anthony Mantha’s strong regular season has made him a very intriguing free agent target this summer, but other teams are now watching to see whether he can produce in the playoffs. His past postseason struggles and Game 1 performance, which included some physicality but also two offensive zone penalties, mean this playoff run could impact how much interest and money he gets if he hits the market. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins will try to stay more disciplined and composed in Game 2 after letting the Flyers’ physical, scrappy style frustrate them in Game 1’s loss. [Trib Live]
Rookie forward Ben Kindel, who just turned 19, is impressing the Penguins not just with his skill, but with unusual maturity and a willingness to play physically despite his stature. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward prospect Roger McQueen, the 10th overall selection in the 2025 NHL draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2026-27 season. [TSN]
San Jose Sharks breakout star Macklin Celebrini made it clear he wants to stay with the team long term, saying he plans to commit after a breakout season. [TSN]
After firing Patrik Allvin, Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford said the Canucks’ next general manager will have much more authority over the franchise, including in all hockey and coaching matters, signaling that Rutherford himself may be ready to hand over the reins. [Sportsnet]
The Buffalo Sabres have provided yet another tangible example of how magical playoff hockey can be. In front of their home fans, playing postseason hockey for the first time since Barack Obama was president, the Sabres rallied from a 2-0 third-period deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3, earning the franchise’s first playoff victory in 15 years. [ESPN]
Cal and friends will skate for Bridgeport. | NHLI via Getty Images
The playoffs kicked off with some good ones over the weekend. The only series yet to begin is Ducks-Oilers, which is the late game among four tonight.
No playoff news for the big Islanders, of course, but Bridgeport begins their final playoff on Tuesday.
Islanders News
Here’s a roundup of several breakup day interviews and quotes, with video. [Isles]
…and a special one just dedicated to Matthew Schaefer’s reflections. [Isles]
The Bridgeport Islanders wrapped up their regular season with a win over Hershey, who is also their first-round (best-of-three) playoff opponent. (Danill Prokhorov made his debut and returned after a tough shot block.) [B-Isles | AHL recap/highlights | GameCenter]
The lottery will be held May 5. What are the odds…
If Steve Kerr does decide he wants to continue coaching the Warriors, the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season might not be his last dance with the organization.
Golden State’s coach, whose contract expires this offseason after the team’s 2025-26 season officially came to a close with a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night in the NBA play-in-tournament, is going to take some time over the next week or two to decide if he wants to continue coaching the Warriors next season.
Kerr recently told ESPN that he felt it was around 50-50 whether he woud remain as Warriors coach or depart, and in a story published Monday, the outlet’s senior NBA writers Ramona Shelburne and Anthony Slater reported that if Kerr decides to return, owner Joe Lacob wants him to express a certain level of hunger, and that the organization’s management would like to lock him into a multiyear contract.
“More than anything, team sources said, Lacob will want to hear Kerr express a hunger to continue executing the nitty-gritty details of the daily job, not a reluctant acceptance that he should continue coaching purely out of loyalty to [Draymond] Green and [Steph] Curry and the sentimentality of riding out this era,” Shelburne and Slater wrote.
“That’s why, if Kerr decides he wants to return, there’s a desire from management for him to sign a multiyear deal, team sources said, instead of setting up a last dance farewell tour that would feel more about emotion and nostalgia than wins.”
Kerr, even throughout Golden State’s turbulent season, has been vocal about how much he still enjoys coaching the Warriors, despite stars such as Curry and Jimmy Butler both missing significant time with injuries.
However, the 60-year-old Kerr, a nine-time NBA champion as a player and coach, has had a long, decorated NBA career, and understandaby, could decide now is time to call it quits.
Or, based on how the organization plans to re-tool its roster around Curry this offseason, decide he wants to return for another season — or two — to pursue his fifth championship with as Warriors coach.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: Wilber Dotel #66 of the Pittsburgh Pirates makes his MLB debut as he pitches in the ninth inning during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park on April 19, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With a depleted group of relievers, the Pittsburgh Pirates promoted one of their top prospects ahead of their Sunday contest against the Tampa Bay Rays.
23-year-old Wilber Dotel got the call to pitch for Pittsburgh while on a road trip with Triple-A Indianapolis. Originally slated to start for the Indians on Saturday evening, Dotel instead found himself making his MLB debut with the Pirates, helping to close out their victory over the Rays.
The Dominican Republic native was called upon in the ninth inning, and said he was filled with emotion coming out of the bullpen.
“On my way to the mound, I wanted to get there as fast as possible just to get on the mound and start throwing my pitches,” Dotel said.
Dotel first faced Junior Caminero and gave up a homer, but remained poised during the rest of his outing. The next three batters were retired with no more hits or runs allowed, and Dotel had eight pitches registered at more than 98 mph. He would pick up his first big league strikeout against Jonathan Aranda.
Pirates’ manager Don Kelly was pleased with Dotel’s performance.
“That was impressive,” Kelly said, “Especially for a guy making his debut in the ninth inning with a lead and give up a homer and then come back with triple digits and stay in the zone. That was phenomenal.”
Dotel was signed by the Pirates in 2020 as an international free-agent at 18-years-old. Known for blazing fastballs, Dotel has quietly but effectively moved up the Minor League ranks, and has been a real fixture in the Pirates’ farm system since 2023. 2025 was Dotel’s best season to date. With Double-A Altoona the righty had a 7-9 record with a 4.15 ERA over 125.2 innings. His 131 strikeouts ranked third in the Eastern League, while he had a career low in walk rate (3.1 BB/9) and a career high for strikeout rate (9.4/9). Dotel made just three starts in Indianapolis before being promoted.
Despite not having played in relief in three seasons, it is the spot that Dotel is most valuable right now and figures to be where he is used at this season with Pittsburgh. He did pitch two innings out of the bullpen for the Buccos in Spring Training, so he’s optimistic that the transition will not be that difficult. Time will tell if Dotel is a full time reliever for the Pirates, but it is a group that could use some fresh blood as it has struggled in 2026.
Wilber Dotel is the Pirates’ 12th ranked prospect.
Mason Miller has been untouchable all season. And so have the San Diego Padres lately.
Miller's scoreless streak is now at 32 ⅔ innings, just one shy of the Padres' franchise record. And perhaps most impressively, the best closer in the game has struck out 27 of 38 batters faced this season, his 71.1% strikeout rate the highest by a pitcher in his first 11 appearances since 1900.
But it takes a good team to give a closer a chance to shine and the Padres are just about baseball's best right now. They've won 13 of 15 to close within a half-game of the Los Angeles Dodgers - and zoom seven spots to No. 2 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.
At 15-7, the Padres have baseball's second-best record, thanks in large part to their closer with the wipeout fastball-slider combo that's proven untouchable. Or, as Fernando Tatis Jr. put it, "Game over."
Miller's next task? Preserving his scoreless streak through mile-high Coors Field and Phoenix this week.
A look at our updated rankings:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)
Nothing like Coors Field to humble a club on a 126-win pace.
2. San Diego Padres (+7)
Jackson Merrill has robbed three home runs - still impressive even if Jo Adell did that in one game.
LeBron James helped his team to victory over the Rockets on Saturday night. Photograph: Mark J Terrill/AP
LeBron James must be so sick of this. If he wanted to experience being the best player on an otherwise thin team, he could simply remember the Cleveland Cavaliers’ run to the NBA finals in 2007. Or the 2015 NBA finals when his best teammates, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, suffered injuries. Or the 2018 season, which convinced SNL to make a spoof of James’ support staff. “I’m 53 years old,” one of LeBron’s “teammates” says in the clip. “I have seven kids, and two of them are also on the Cavs.” It’s 2026, James is a Los Angeles Laker, his two best teammates are hurt, and one of his kids actually is on the team.
How on earth did we get here, again? James is 41. The story of his season was his labored yet successful pivot into the Lakers’ third option, behind Luka Dončić (who was having one of the best stretches of his career before tweaking his hamstring in a humiliating loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder) and Austin Reaves (who strained his oblique in the same game). Both men are in their primes. James, on the other hand, has been plagued with what some observers may call old guy injuries: he missed the start of the season due to sciatica; he’s sat out a couple games since thanks to arthritis in his left foot. So how – how – is it that Dončić and Reaves were the ones felled by injuries and James is the iron man? Aren’t the rules that athletes in their 20s get to enjoy energy and health, while those in their 40s have to retire and become mediocre pundits?
Surreal as James reprising his role from a decade ago is, there’s nobody more used to the gig. Asked recently what his team now needs from him, James said, “everything, so nothing changes for me. Just back to the old ways.” Dončić and Reaves are out indefinitely. If James can prolong the Lakers’ run, that pair may have time to come back and restore the team to its best possible form, but there are no guarantees.
James has at least one thing going for him, aside from the small matter of being arguably the greatest player of all time: the Lakers are playing the dysfunctional Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. This version of the Rockets, without vital contributors in Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams, are capable of blowing a 13-point lead in overtime. There’s simply no other group in the NBA who have it in them, even those teams who spent most of the season trying to lose. On top of that, Kevin Durant recently hurt his knee in practice, forcing him out of Saturday night’s series opener, which the Lakers won 107-98. The Rockets’ offense is poor at the best of times, but removing KD is like taking the bacon and bread off a BLT.
And look, James did not carry the Lakers in Saturday’s win, though the Rockets offered so little resistance that he never had to try. Luke Kennard had 27 points. James had 19, and so did Deandre Ayton. (Guess Ayton drank his crunk juice.) But it was the King who commanded the pace and flow of the game. James had 13 assists to what felt like every single one of his teammates, many of them leading to wide-open shots. He either created or assisted on 15 of the Lakers’ first 19 points. He hit a long three in the fourth quarter, then a ridiculous fadeaway over Amen Thompson, the Rockets’ best defender. He snagged an errant pass in the first quarter; while tumbling out of bounds, he managed to leap in the air and drill the ball off Thompson’s legs to maintain Lakers possession. James played 38 minutes. He finished with a +11 on-off rating, the best on either team.
Saturday was no anomaly. James’ on-court play has been notable this year not just in its continued quality (again: he is 41), but in its effort and intentionality. In December, he sacrificed his run of 1,297 consecutive regular season games in which he’d scored 10 or more points to dish the ball to Rui Hachimura for a game-winner. In the closing minutes of a March thriller against the Denver Nuggets, James dove for a loose ball as if he was a teenager again; the Lakers wound up winning in overtime. Before Dončić and Reaves went down, James had morphed into an uber-efficient role player, producing restrained masterpieces in a radically different style to his do-it-all finals heroics in the 2010s.
It’s been clear since before this season even started that the Lakers won’t win the title this season. Even if they get past the Rockets, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder will almost certainly grind them into a fine sand in the next round. James must know it.
But maybe he’s just not fazed by any of it, or having to play without Dončić and Reaves. “I’ve been in every situation you can ever imagine as a basketball player,” he said after Game 1. And he has. The bar for his career being set at “surpass Michael Jordan” when he was still in high school didn’t deter him. The venom aimed at him after the Decision, as if he’d committed a serious crime by cheesily announcing his move to the Miami Heat, didn’t do long-term damage. He responded as well as was possible to the disaster that was the 2011 finals. A meaningful portion of NBA fans’ aggressive certainty that basketball is actually an individual sport hasn’t bullied him into becoming a ball hog at the cost of team success. Maybe sharing a starting lineup with Kennard, Ayton, Hachimura, and Marcus Smart instead of taking part in a superteam hardly registers as a challenge at this point.
Perhaps, with time, playing on so many less-than-ideal teams may even end up benefiting James’s legacy – in some calmer world, when we can soberly agree that most of those finals losses weren’t on him alone. James would probably have won more rings on better teams (or if he got to play against worse teams in finals). We might also not have gotten to see the outer reaches of his skill. The way things turned out, he faced enough adversity that he had to show us every extraordinary version of himself.
